The Mask
The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film directed by Charles Russell, produced by Bob Engelman, and written by Mike Werb, loosely based on the comic series of the same name published by Dark Horse Comics. The film stars Jim Carrey, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Peter Riegert, Richard Jeni, Ben Stein, Joely Fisher, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. It revolves around Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey), an unfortunate bank clerk who finds a magical mask that transforms him into a mischievous zoot-suited gangster. Plot Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), an insecure bank clerk working at the local Edge City bank is frequently ridiculed by everyone around him except for his co-worker and best friend Charlie Schumaker (Richard Jeni). Meanwhile, gangster Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene), owner of the Coco Bongo nightclub, plots to overthrow his boss Niko (Orestes Matacena). One day, Tyrell sends his singer girlfriend Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz) into Stanley's bank to record its layout, in preparation to rob the bank. Stanley is attracted to Tina, and she seems to reciprocate. Unable to enter the Coco Bongo to watch Tina perform, Stanley finds a wooden mask near the city's harbor. Placing it on his face transforms him into a bizarre, wisecracking green-faced zoot-suited trickster known as "The Mask", who is able to cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. As The Mask, Stanley exacts comical revenge on his tormentors and scares off a street gang that attempts to rob him by turning a balloon into a Tommy gun and humiliates two repairmen who scammed him earlier. The next morning, Stanley encounters detective Mitch Kellaway (Peter Riegert) and newspaper reporter Peggy Brandt (Amy Yasbeck) investigating The Mask's activity of the previous night. To attend Tina's performance, he again becomes the Mask to raid the bank, inadvertently foiling Tyrell's plan in the process. At the Coco Bongo, Stanley dances exuberantly with Tina, whom he ends up kissing. Following a confrontation with Tyrell for disrupting the bank robbery and stealing his girlfriend, Stanley flees leaving behind a scrap of cloth from his suit that transforms back into his pajamas, while Tyrell and his men are arrested by Kellaway and his partner Doyle (Jim Doughan). Based on the piece of cloth, Kellaway suspects Stanley to be the bank robber. Stanley later consults a psychiatrist (Ben Stein) who has recently published a book on masks and discovers that the object may be a creation of Loki, the Norse god of darkness and mischief. The same night, Stanley meets Tina at a local park as the Mask, but the meeting is interrupted by Kellaway, who attempts to capture him. Stanley tricks a large group of police officers into joining him in a mass performance of the Desi Arnaz song "Cuban Pete" and flees with Peggy, but she betrays him to Tyrell for a $50,000 bounty. Using the mask, Tyrell becomes a malevolent green-faced monster. Tyrell's henchmen end up in the possession of the stolen money after Stanley is forced to reveal its location, and they turn Stanley into the police. When Tina visits Stanley in the station, he urges her to flee the city. Tina thanks Stanley for showing her kindness and warmth she wasn't used to and tells him that he didn't need the mask to be special to her. She attempts to leave the city, but is captured by Tyrell's men and forcibly taken to a charity ball at the Coco Bongo hosted by Niko and attended by the city's elite, including Mayor Tilton (Ivory Ocean). Upon arrival, the masked Tyrell kills Niko and prepares to destroy both the club and Tina with dynamite. Milo, Stanley’s dog, helps Stanley escape from the station by leaping in through the cell window to retrieve the keys from a guard, and Stanley brings Kellaway as a cover and hostage in a desperate attempt to stop Tyrell. After locking Kellaway in his car, Stanley enters the club and manages to enlist the help of Charlie, but is soon after discovered and captured. Tina tricks Tyrell into taking off the mask, which is recovered and donned by Milo, who fights Tyrell's men, while Stanley fights Tyrell by himself. After recovering the mask, Stanley uses its special powers to rescue Tina by swallowing Tyrell's bomb and flushing Tyrell down the drain of the club's ornamental fountain. The police arrive and arrest Tyrell's remaining henchmen while Kellaway attempts to arrest Stanley once again. However, Tilton tells Kellaway to release Stanley, believing that Tyrell was the Mask the whole time and Stanley only put it on this one time. Tilton calls Stanley a hero for his actions and states that he will have a "meeting" with Kellaway at dawn. As the sun rises the following day, all charges against Stanley are dropped. Not wanting to get involved with the police again, Stanley decides to discard the mask at the harbor. Tina throws the mask into the water, and she and Stanley kiss. Charlie then jumps in the water to retrieve the mask for himself, only to find Milo swimming away with it. Cast * Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask: Jim Carrey, who portrays Stanley Ipkiss, commented that he characterized Stanley after his own father: "a nice guy, just trying to get by". When Ipkiss puts on the Mask, he becomes a wacky, zoot-suited, suave cartoon figure having the ability to manipulate his own shape and the world around him to a superhuman extent; this is implied to be the projection onto himself of his preferred fantasies. * Peter Greene as Dorian Tyrell: A Mafia officer who desires to kill his superior. He is completely insane, psychopathic, manipulative, ambitious, arrogant, paranoid and selfish with scant regard for any of the lives destroyed or simply taken as a result of his media ambition. When Dorian wears the Mask, he becomes a troll-like figure representing his malice, and exhibits bestial behavior. * Cameron Diaz as Tina Carlyle: The glamorous girlfriend of mobster Dorian Tyrell who is attracted to Stanley Ipkiss. Tina is largely dissatisfied with Dorian as a partner, but does not defy him until she has been courted by his rival. This role marked the feature film debut for former model Cameron Diaz. Before Diaz was cast, the studio considered casting Vanessa L. Williams and Kristy Swanson. There was also a studio offer for Anna Nicole Smith.[citation needed] * Orestes Matacena as Niko: The mafia boss of Edge City and owner of the Coco Bongo Club. * Peter Riegert as Lt. Mitch Kellaway: A slightly cynical police detective who pursues the Mask, Dorian and Niko throughout the film. * Jim Doughan as Detective Doyle: Lt. Kellaway's slightly-inept partner. * Richard Jeni as Charlie Schumaker: A friend of Stanley Ipkiss. Charlie is amiable, but can be selfish or irrational at times. * Amy Yasbeck as Peggy Brandt: A reporter. Originally, the character was murdered by Dorian when he is first transformed by the Mask. Director Chuck Russell however, cut this scene with an eye to including Peggy who later reforms in a Mask sequel (though this idea fell through when Carrey declined to return).[citation needed] However, she appeared in the animated series. * Jeremy Roberts as Bobby the Bouncer: One of Dorian Tyrell's bodyguards who works as the bouncer of the Coco Bongo Club. * Ben Stein as Dr. Arthur Neuman: A psychologist who tells Ipkiss about the Mask being representative of a Norse Night God named Loki. He's also the author of a book, The Masks We Wear, which deals with people portraying themselves differently to others. * Ivory Ocean as Mitchell Tilton: The Mayor of Edge City. * Reginald E. Cathey as Freeze: Dorian Tyrell's bodyguard and a friend. * William Daniel Mielcarek as Doc: One of Tyrell's thugs. * Denis Forest as Sweet Eddy: One of Tyrell's thugs. * Eamonn Roche as Mr. Dickey: Stanley and Charlie's supervisor at Edge City Bank. * Nancy Fish as Mrs. Peenman: Stanley's temperamental land-lady. * Nils Allen Stewart as Orlando: One of Tyrell's thugs. * Blake Clark as Murray: Peggy's supervisor at the city's local newspaper. Stand-Alone Sequel The Mask was followed by a stand-alone sequel: Son of the Mask (2005). Gallery Trivia Category:The Mask Films Category:1994